


Rest and Restoration

by Measured



Category: Fire Emblem: Soen no Kiseki/Akatsuki no Megami | Fire Emblem Path of Radiance/Radiant Dawn
Genre: F/F, House Cleaning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-10-03
Updated: 2011-10-03
Packaged: 2020-06-30 13:21:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,631
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19854037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Measured/pseuds/Measured
Summary: She hadn't been back to the villa where she had spent so many of her formative years in ages. Four years, she thought. Four whole years of politics and balls and subduing rebellions and wars with nary a rest. But now it was a mandatory rest, and even then she couldn't bring herself to stop working.





	Rest and Restoration

**Author's Note:**

> other kink meme: some cute modern AU Lucia/Elincia fluff, involving house cleaning. It's a bit bittersweet, because Elincia's time in POR is kind of, you know, _tragic_. / [](https://www.dreamwidth.org/profile?user=all_unwritten)[all_unwritten](https://www.dreamwidth.org/profile?user=all_unwritten)'s prompt [laundry day](http://all-unwritten.livejournal.com/389223.html) ended up finally making me finish this.
> 
> This one kept on trying to be Geoffrey/Elincia/Lucia on me. Which was a WTF moment because I've never been much of a poly writer.
> 
> Title: Rest and Restoration  
>  Series: FE10  
>  Character/pairing: Lucia/Elincia  
>  Rating: PG at most  
>  Word count: 1744  
>  Author's note: other kink meme: some cute modern AU Lucia/Elincia fluff, involving house cleaning. It's a bit bittersweet, because Elincia's time in POR is kind of, you know, _tragic_. / [](https://www.dreamwidth.org/profile?user=all_unwritten)[**all_unwritten**](https://www.dreamwidth.org/profile?user=all_unwritten) 's prompt [laundry day](http://all-unwritten.livejournal.com/389223.html) ended up finally making me finish this.
> 
> Happy winter holidays, [](https://happybutter.dreamwidth.org/profile)[**happybutter**](https://happybutter.dreamwidth.org/) :3

  
She hadn't been back to the villa where she had spent so many of her formative years in ages. Four years, she thought. Four whole years of politics and balls and subduing rebellions and wars with nary a rest. But now it was a mandatory rest, and even then she couldn't bring herself to stop working.

The house had been closed up, and all the servants had moved on. She stepped into this old place which held so many memories of their childhood. Like the time Lucia had put grass in Geoffrey's bed, and called him a horse, or how Geoffrey had been so polite, bowing and opening doors for her even then.

He had never gone through a hellion stage, she mused. Though Lucia certainly had. Geoffrey might even say she hadn't quite gotten through it, she thought with amusement.

She smiled as she stepped in, taking in the dull mirrors, the thick layer of dust over the old furniture, cobwebs woven over the corners.

"It looks like we have our work cut out for us. I'll call for some cleaners–" Lucia began.

"No, please...I'd rather we do it ourselves. We can call in some help, if it grows too much for us, but I've been idle far too long," Elincia said.

"If anything, you've not been idle enough. This is your vacation, my lady," Lucia said. "People usually use those for _resting_ –unless you mean that secretary to Ike's group, then vacations are for pacing and trying desperately to find things to file."

Elincia laughed, despite herself, but then she turned a gentle admonishing gaze to Lucia."You know to call me by my name when we're alone."

Lucia smiled. "Of course."

They had dressed the part of commoners on the trip.

Elincia wore the clothes of a servant. A plain grey dress, an apron across her waist, her green hair tied back in a kerchief. Lucia had kept her hair shorn after the war, and dressed the part of a repairman in too big, too loose overalls and a patch that read _Largo_ on the chest.

"You keep staring," Elincia said, blushing slightly. "I can't exactly wear pearls where bandits might see."

"You're lovely," Lucia said. "And I'm not allowed to stare at you in public, but here...."

She came closer and entwined their hands.

"...here, there's no interruptions," Elincia finished breathlessly.

*

The first thing they did was bring out the old stepladders in the shed, near old bicycles with flat tires and rusted handlebars and balls faded with color. Three hula hoops peeked out from the corner near the workbench, each also faded with time. The third, a pink one was broken, cobwebs spilling out of its two pieces.

They relied mostly on themselves, back then. It was so simple, living with just a few tutors and servants, with Bastian being their only connection to the outside world. It was his villa, left in his name. The rumor had been he'd kept a mistress there, and given Bastian's _amorous_ reputation, no one questioned it.

Working together, they pulled free the dark green curtains, patterned in roses of damask. Clouds of dust came up in the air, and Elincia coughed delicately. The curtain fell to the floor, and together they dragged it to the washing machine.

"I don't think it will fit," Lucia mused.

"I suppose we'll have to go to town and use the laundromat."

Lucia felt over the material, rubbing over the faded patterns.

"I'm not sure it can be saved," Lucia said quietly.

During the flight, there had been no time to properly pack away the things they had left. Mice had nested in the couches, the old clothes no longer fit and were too mildewed to even give to the good will organizations. The halcyon days of their youth was long gone, tainted by blood and wars.

"Then there is only one thing to do. We will rebuild," Elincia said.

Lucia looked on with such love towards the queen, her lover who had fought so hard for her people. Even when she had lost everything, she would always rebuild, always keep that fragile hope alive.

*

In the end, they'd hung the curtains out on the line, flapping in the light breeze, in hopes that it would help clean out the musty smell in the next rain. There was a backdrop of deep blue skies, with clouds drifting by in a variety of shapes. Once, a long time ago, they would've made forts and ruled over this land, the three of them. Geoffrey was still on duty, though perhaps next summer, he too would join them in their renovation.

Elincia sang as she washed, and her voice was as high, a soprano, their music teacher had said. They'd been trained in languages, music and arts, weapons and war like the children of the nobles of old. Bastian always had been focused on the past, with his Shakespeare and games of chess, both on the board and as he put it, 'on the game of life'.

Elincia wrung out the cloth and dirty water spilled into the bucket. The water had turned grey, but the villa seemed much brighter, now that the walls of this small room were attended to.

"I'll change that for you," Lucia murmured. Elincia quietly thanked her, and pushed a wisps of hair out of her eyes. She leaned to pick up the bucket. She tossed it outside, the sharp sent of vinegar assailing her nose as she returned. Elincia had already pulled out another plastic bottle of white vinegar to be diluted into the fresh water.

The walls looked cleaner now. They may have been yellowed with age, and with flaking, water-damaged wallpaper of birds and flowers all needing to be replaced, but this room was ready for a repainting. It had seemed so much bigger when they were younger. It had been their entire world, all they could remember in these small rooms with their tiny windows, and charming window boxes now filled with dead plants and weeds.

The courtyard alone was larger than this entire villa.

A small mouse scurried by, and Elincia gasped, nearly tumbling over in surprise and Lucia hurried to catch her fall, but she righted herself at the last minute.

"I'll get some poison right away," Lucia said.

"No, that'd be cruel," she said.

Lucia's hands rested on Elincia's shoulders. They were tight, and she wore a mantle of dust and dirt over her commoner's uniform. And yet, she was as lovely as ever, dirt streaked and worn in this old house of theirs.

"Then I'll check the town to see if there's any kittens they'd be happy to give away. We could ask one of the villagers to watch over it for us. Ensure that the mold and rot doesn't get to it again, and feed the cat."

Of course, it was harder to tell which would be more cruel. Cats played with their prey, prolonging the suffering for their own amusement. But perhaps Elincia forgot that when it came to such thoughts as a furry kitten rubbing against her legs and purring in her lap after a hard day's work.

Or maybe, it seemed less cruel when at least something was gaining nourishment from the death.

"Return...we'll have to leave here again, won't we?" Elincia sighed and looked out at the wreckage of their childhood home. There wasn't much she could salvage. The roof needed mending, the furniture was ruined and the beds were so moldy and unusable that Lucia had had to make a run to town to buy one extra-large sleeping bag for the both of them.

It would probably be cheaper to simply tear it down and rebuild. But Elincia always had to try, even when the fight was fruitless. She had waited two years for Ike, hoping he would return her feelings, and rule alongside with her. He never had. She had quietly taken to herself, keeping her tears behind locked doors. She was the queen; her breakdowns must be her own, kept behind locked doors and guarded with a smile, and with excuses for the other nobles who might catch a hint of red-rimmed eyes, or a shakiness in her smile.

Lucia didn't even think Ike realized he'd broken her heart. He was hardly cruel, only a bit clueless to how he unwittingly tended to make girls fall for him. Or maybe like her and Geoffrey, he'd been too wrapped up with someone else he loved to ever see the charms of another.

"We'll return another summer and another. One day, our children will play here just like we did," Lucia said.

Elincia's expression softened, and Lucia leaned into her, wrapping her arms about her waist and resting her head against her shoulders.

"You should rest," Lucia said. "Your shoulders are very tense."

Elincia let out a long sigh. "There's so much still left to do."

"There's always tomorrow," Lucia said.

But she did not look worn down, only momentarily weary. She put her hands over where Lucia clasped her hands about her waist and held them tight.

"Yes, and as long as I have you and your brother beside me, I know I will be able to make it."

"And we will always be here for you," Lucia echoed.

"I know," Elincia said. "It is what gives me hope."

She looked out at the villa which time had been so harsh on. All their work together had barely even scratched the surface of what it would require. But to Elincia, this was her first home. She had lost so much in her life, from her parents to her first fledgling attempt at love. She deserved to have this, at least, no matter what the cost.


End file.
